Stabilizer for vehicles



B. D. MCINTYRE STABILIZER FOR YiEH cLEs March 26, 1940.

Filed Feb. 6, 1939 FLGJ.

I NV EN TOR.

S m. m m VA N d D, R E W U 0 R B Patented Mar. 26, 1940 UNITED: STATESPATENT OFFICE smnmznaroavnmcms.

Brouwer D. McIntyre, Monroe, Mich, alsignor to Monroe Auto EquipmentCompany, Monroe, Micln, a corporation of Michigan Application February6, 1939, Serial No. 254,939

2 Clalmsz (Cl. 287-11) This invention relates generally to stabilizingequipment for motor vehicles and refers more particularly to stabilizersof the type having a torsion bar mounted on either the sprung or 5unsprung assembly of the vehicle for rocking movement and havinglaterally projecting arms at opposite ends of the bar directly pivotedto the other assembly in a manner to resist relative deflection of thesuspension springs at opposite l sides of the vehicle to maintain thenormal plane of the body of the vehicle substantially parallel with theplane of the axle when the vehicle is turned in either direction from astraight line course of travel.

One of the principal objects of this invention consists in the provisionof improved means. for mounting a torsion bar of the above type on avehicle in a manner to not only permit the bar to perform its intendedfunction of resisting roll of the sprung assembly, but to also com-'pensate for any difierence'that may exist in the paths of travel of thearms on the bar and the part of the vehicle. to which the ends of thearms are connected. In accordance with the present invention, the freeend portions of the arms are connected to one of the vehicle assembliesthrough the medium of resilient blocks, preferably of rubber material,in a manner that any diiference existing between the paths of travel ofthe ends of the arms on the bar and the part of the vehicle assemblysupporting the mounting blocks for the arms is compensated for bydeformation, or interparticle flow of the resilient material from whichthe blocks are formed. As a result, the wear on the blocks is reduced toa minimum and the connection will-remain in a serviceable condition overa long period of use.

A further advantageous feature of this invention resides in theprovision of a torsion bar of the character set forth wherein the bar,as well as the free ends of the arms on the latter, are respectivelyconnected to the relatively movable vehicle assemblies through themedium of blocks formed of rubber material. As a result, the bar may beconsidered as mounted in rubher, and this is desirable in that nolubrication is required andin that there is no tendency forobjectionable noise to develop.

With the foregoing, as well as other objects 5 in view, the-inventionresides in the novel construction of the mounting which will be mademore apparent as this description proceeds, especially .when consideredin connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a planview of a portion of a motor vehicle equipped with a sway eliminatorassembly constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a portion of the constructionshown in Figure 1;' 1

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the connectionprovided between the free ends of the arms on the torsion bar andthe'part of the vehicle to which these arms are connected; 10

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the planeindicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a slightly modified form ofmounting for the 'free I5 ends of the arms on the torsion bar. v

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, it will be noted that thereis illustrated in Figure 1 a portion of a vehicle having 'a sprungassembly Ill and having an unsprung assembly ll. 20 In the presentinstance, the sprung assembly comprises a frame I! having laterallyspaced longitudinally extending side sills secured in assembled relationto each other by suitable cross members l3. The unsprung assembly H com-5 prises an axle l4 extending transversely of the frame |2 beneath thesame and adapted to carry road engaging wheels (not shown) at oppositeends thereof. Although various different types of suspension springs maybe employed without 30 departing from the spirit and scope of thisinvention, nevertheless, for the purpose of illustration, I have shownthe sprung assembly l0 as supported from the unsprung assembly II bymeans of orthodox semi-elliptical leaf springs 35 I6 extendinglongitudinally of the frame I2 at opposite sides thereof. In accordancewith conventional practice, the forward ends -of the springs aresuitably pi'votally connected to the side sills of the frame I! by meansof pins I1 40 and the rear ends of the springs are connected to the sidesills of the frame l2 through the medium of shackles IS. Theintermediate portions of the springs iii are shown in Figure 2 asrigidly secured to the axle l4 adjacent op- 45 posite ends thereof bymeans of U-bolts l9.

In vehicles equipped with the general construction. outlined above, thesprung weight tends to roll relative to the unsprung assembly when thevehicle is turned in either direction 5 from a straight line course oftravel and the extent of roll depends, of course, upon the speed of thevehicle, as well as the flexibility of the particular springs employedIn accordance with the present invention, side swaying or 55 roll of thesprung weight of the vehicle is eliminated. or at .leastsubstantiallyminimized by a torsional stabilizer 20 comprising a substantiallyU-shaped spring steel bar 2! mounted upon one of the aforesaidassemblies, with the base section 22 extending transversely of thevehicle and with the arms 23 directly pivotally connected to the otherassembly. Although it is immaterial insofar as the principle ofoperation of the pres ent invention is concerned which of the assembliesis selected for mounting the torsion bar 2|, nevertheless, for thepurpose of illustrating the present invention, I have shown the bar 2|as mounted on the sprung assembly l3 and as having'the extremities ofthe arms 23 directly pivotally connected to the unsprung assembly ii oraxle ll of the vehicle.

In detail, the base section 22 of the U-shaped torsion bar 2| extendstransversely of the frame l2 beneath the latter and the opposite ends ofthe base section are respectively mounted on the undersides of thelaterally spaced sills of the frame for rocking movement. Upon referenceto Figure 4, it will be noted that the mountings for connecting theopposite end portions of the base section 22 of the bar to the frame i2are identical, and each mounting comprises a block 24 of resilientmaterial, such as rubber, clamped to the frame i2 by means of a suitablestrap 25; The blocks 24 are apertured to receive the base portion 22 ofthe torsion bar and, if desired, may be vulcanized to the base portion22 of the bar so that rocking movement of the latter is permitted bydeformation or interparticle flow of the rubber from which the blocks 24are formed. With this construction, the wear on the blocks 24 is reducedto the minimum and a noiseless mounting results which requires noattention. In the event it is not desired to vulcanize the blocks 24 tothe bar, the same results may be obtained by forming the openingsthrough the blocks of smaller diameter than the bar so that after thebushings are forced on the bar, the latter grip the bar suiiiciently toprevent slipp e between the blocks and bar.

The free ends of the arms 23 are connected to the unsprung assembly Iiby mountings 26 respectively secured to the top surfaces of the springsl6 at opposite sides of the frame i2 by means of brackets 21 havingportions clamped to the springs by the U-bolts l9. Each mounting 26comprises a block 23 of resilient material, such as rubber, assembled ina retainer 29 which, in turn, is welded, or otherwise permanentlysecured to the brackets 21. The blocks 28 are provided with openingstherethrough for receiving the free ends of the arms 23 and may besecured to the arms 23, either by vulcanizing the blocks directly to thearms, or by compressing the blocks so that they frictionally engage, orgrip the free ends of the arms. In either case, the arrangement is suchthat relative movement between the arms 23 and the blocks 28 is effectedby interparticle flow of the material from. which the blocks are formed,and this is desirable in that it reduces the wear to the minimum.

It will be noted that upon spring deflection, the mountings 26 arecompelled to assume the path of travel of the springs, and this path oftravel varies to some extent with reference to the path ofswingingmovement through which the free ends of the arms 23 tend to travel. Thedifference between the two paths of travel, mentioned above, iscompensated for without interfering with either the operation of thetorsion arms:

bar, or the mountings therefor by the resilient blocks 23. In otherwords, the blocks 23 deform suiiiciently to take care of any variationsbetween the paths of travel of the free ends of the arms 23 and thepaths of travel of the mounting brackets 21.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 5 differs from theone previously described in the type of mounting provided for attachingthe free ends of the arms 23 to the unsprung assembly of the vehicle. Indetail, the mounting shown in Figure 5 comprises a cylindrical block 30of resilient material, such as rubber, having a central boretherethrough for receiving a metal sleeve 3i and vulcanized to thesleeve. The periphery of the block 30 is sleeved within a metal bushing32 of the proper diameter and is vulcanized to this bushing to provide aunitary construction. I

The bushing 32 is adapted to have a pressed fit with a bushing 33 which,in turn, is suitably secured to the unsprung assembly. It will, ofcourse, be understood that a mounting of this type is located on eachside of the vehicle for connecting the free ends of the arms on thetorsion bar to the unsprung assembly. In this connection, it will benoted that the extremities of each of the arms are formed with a reducedportion 34 forming a shoulder 35 andadapted to slldably engage in thesleeve 3| of the mounting. The extremity of the reduced portion of eacharm is threaded for receiving a clamping nut 36 and the latter functionsto secure the free ends of the arms to the unsprung weight through themountings. This embodiment of the invention functions in substantiallythe same manner as the first described form of the invention in that therubber blocks 30 are permitted to deform to the extent required tocompensate for the different paths of travel of the free ends of thearms on the torsion bar and the bushings 33 on the unsprung assembly.

In operation, it will be noted that relative movement between the sprungand unsprung assemblies at one side of the vehicle is transmittedthrough the spring torsion bar 2| tending to effect a similar relativemovement between these assemblies at the opposite side of the vehicle.In other words, as the suspension means at one side of the vehicle tendsto deflect relative to the suspension means at the opposite side of thevehicle, the latter suspension means will react through the torsion barto resist deflection of the other suspension means. This has the effectof maintaining the normal plane of the body of the vehicle substantiallyparallel to the plane of the axle when the vehicle is turned in eitherdirection from a straight line course of travel.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a motor vehicle having sprung andunsprung assemblies, a stabilizerfor the sprung assembly comprising a torsion bar mounted on one of theassemblies for rocking movement, arms projecting laterally from the barat points spaced from each other longitudinally of the bar and havingthe free end portions thereof directly connected to the other assembly,the free ends of the arms and the points of connection of the latter tothe said other assembly being movable throughout diflerent paths oftravel, and means directly connecting the free end portions of the armsto the said other assembly including blocks of rubber material mountedon the said other assembly and having bores therethrough extending inthe direction of the arms to receive the free end portions of said arms,the surfaces of the bores being held against the end portions of thearms to resist slippage of the end portions of the arms relative to theblocks and the outer portions of the blocks being fixed to the saidother assembly, whereby said blocks are placed under a shearing stressduring movement of the arms and blocks about their respective paths oftravel.

2. In a motor vehicle having sprung and unsprung assemblies, a one-piecesubstantially U- shaped stabilizer bar having the base portion mountedon one of the assemblies for rocking movement and having the freeends'of the arm portions directly connected to the other assembly, thefree ends of the arms and the points of connection of the latter to thesaid other assembly being movable throughout different paths of travel,means directly connecting the free ends of the arms to the said otherassembly including blocks of rubber material having bores therethroughextending in the direction of the arms for receiving the free endportions of the arms and held against the free end portions of the armsto resist slippage of the arms relative to the blocks, and housings forthe rubber blocks secured to the said other assembly and holding theouter portions of the blocks fixed with respect to the said otherassembly whereby the rubber blocks are placed under a shearing stressduring movement of the free end portions of the arms and housingsthroughout their respective paths of travel.

' BROUWER D. McINTYRE.

